We offer a curated selection of the finest perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs and evergreens – all maintained by hand. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are happy to answer any and all questions you may have. We will provide the tools, materials and advice needed to start the landscape of your dreams or rejuvenate existing outdoor spaces.
Visit us today to be inspired by the colors, scents and refreshment that our outdoor living displays provide. At Whispering Hills, we have all you need to grow. If you are a wholesale client, find your pricing here. You can find our guarantee policy here.
Monday-Saturday: 7-4PM, Sunday: 8-4pm
Perennials
Simply put, perennials are plants that come back yearly. They live longer than two years, produce seed every year, and die back in a frost, sprouting new growth the following spring. Perennials are an investment in your landscape. What is planted into the ground as a few twigs and some leaves, has the possibility to grow several feet high and wide, slowly over time. Perennials grow into themselves and will form the shape of your landscape, returning year after year, beautifying your yard year after year.
Perennials bloom at a set time within a season, and with a knowledge of growth rates and blooming windows, a perennial garden can be designed to show a myriad of textures, shapes and colors throughout a growing season. Use your perennials as cut flowers, knowing that they’ll grow back the next year, and some perennials will even re-bloom within the same year after pruning. Once a perennial’s time to bloom is spent, their leaves will continue a verdant display, conserving energy in their root system for the next year’s growing season.
We offer the largest selection of perennials in the area, watered by hand, with several varieties that can’t be found anywhere else.
View our 2021 catalog
Annuals
Annuals are plants that perform their entire life cycle from seed to flower to seed within a single growing season. All roots, stems and leaves of the plant die annually. Only the dormant seed bridges the gap between one generation and the next. Annuals include many garden flowers (like peonies, cosmos, and geraniums), wildflowers and vegetables.
Within our covered garden center is a wide selection of popular and rare annuals that will enhance your landscape of any size. Flowers, grasses, herbs and vegetables—we are McHenry County’s one stop shop for annual plants.
View our 2021 catalog
Trees
We offer a vast selection of deciduous and coniferous trees that can be delivered and planted by our expert team. They are sold in either a ball and burlap arrangement or in containers, depending on size. Throughout our nursery, we use pea gravel in order to maintain proper hydration for our stock. Although this process is a bit more labor intensive, this method ensures our stock is happy, healthy, and ready to be planted.
Trees work for us. Properly cared for, they are valuable assets worth three times your initial investment. Healthy trees mean:
Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year.
Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable.
Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year.
Homeowner savings: Strategically placed trees save up to 56 percent on annual air-conditioning costs. Evergreens that block winter winds can save 3 percent on heating.
Better business: Consumers shop more frequently and longer in tree-lined commercial areas and are willing to spend more.
Higher property values: Each large front yard tree adds to a home’s sale price.
View our 2021 catalog
Shrubs
Shrubs are small woody plants that have multiple permanent stems that are generally smaller than trees. Similarly to herbaceous perennials, once planted, shrubs will thrive during a growing season, die back during the winter, then grow again for several years. Great for borders around a yard, creating privacy screening, and adding height to a landscape. Within each season, shrubs maintain character for years to come.
We offer a one of a kind array of shrubs, ball & burlap or in pots, the largest in McHenry County.
View our 2021 catalog
Evergreens
Evergreen trees give a landscape year-round interest, color and texture. They can be used as specimens, hedges, privacy screens, backdrops for smaller flowering plants, or as a windbreak planted on the north and west to deflect or intercept winter winds. “Evergreen” refers to trees that normally retain most of their foliage (needles) through the winter. Most evergreens prefer full sun; some will tolerate partial shade. When selecting evergreens, consider available space, soil and site conditions. All evergreens benefit from mulches, and need sufficient water to become established after transplanting.
We offer a vast range of evergreens, the largest in the area, from small arborvitae to pines that can grow up to 80’ tall.